One of my favorite blogger peeps, Andrea, is in the process of buying a house. Because I can’t resist, I’m forced to offer a number of unsolicited suggestions of homes that are right next to me. I love my neighborhood, and I love having fun people nearby. Anyway, Andrea was telling me how important it was for to be able to walk to a number of amenities. I’m with her! I love my neighborhood because it’s so walkable.
Anyway, I found this very cool site — Walk Score — that tells you how walkable your place is. You just enter your address. My house got a score of 80 out of 100 — very walkable.
The site has a great section called “Why Walk” that cites five great benefits of walkable neighborhoods:
Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.1 Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15–45.
Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.
More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car!2
Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.3
Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It’s easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don’t need to drive between destinations.
So, Andrea, I dare you to find a house that has a better walk score than the ones I sent you! 
(I’m such a pusher)
my current neighborhood got a 71 *wah-wah trumpet* and the brady bunch house got a 78 you’re right no one can compare with your house!
I can already see the agent’s eyes roll when I tell her we need to use this web site and adjust my criteria! but I was thinking that certain areas could be discarded after July 1 if PLCH has to close certain library branches
aaaarrrrrrgggghhhh
Having lived at one point at a place that scored a 95, and now at a place that scores a 32, I can definitely agree with that list you share. Being able to walk to just about anything I needed or wanted is the number one thing I miss about living in the city, and it is something I took for granted while living there.
The Walk Score site is a great idea and is over all a pretty good indicator. Just don’t take the specific information on which the score is based too literally — area businesses are organized in a primitive, not always useful fashion, some info is out of date, and proximity is “as the crow flies” and not always walkable.
This thing is just depressing. My house in Charlottesville got a 98, the place I live now got a 68, and the house I just bought got a 17
This has been my one reservation about the house we bought. I know we were totally spoiled in c’ville, but it really sucked that we couldn’t afford anything in town in Asheville. It’s the sacrifice we had to make, though, to buy a place. Hopefully in a few years we’ll sell it and move into the city!
Darn, I really though my place was super walkable. I only got a score of 75.
I checked my parents house for “walkability” and it got a 3 out of 100. Growing up in a place like that makes me really appreciate the ability to saunter down the street to get groceries, food, entertainment, and the all important refreshments.
Man… Our current home got a 38, but our previous one in Main Strasse Village scored an 83! Talk about a flip-flop!
Sadness! My house only received a walk score of 35. I need to do something about this.
Oh no! My score was 27! How depressing! And all the stores and places to walk were scary places I wouldn’t go to anyway!!! My house growing up got a score of 0 b/c nothing is within 5 miles! However, I walked a lot more then! This blog is excellent Laura- very cool!